Sometimes I Drop the Ball

I posted a Thirty Before Thirty.

I have accomplished one thing-the drastic hair do. Started journaling, stopped. Started reading, keep getting side tracked.

In this time, I have inspired others to make their own lists. Win?

We are rapidly approaching my 29th birthday and I feel like my own goals are causing me to be hyper-worried about the big three-oh.

After much thought (and, admittedly, a few tears), I think I need to reassess my TBT goals. I don't think I am in the same place as I was when I made the original list, nor do I think all of the same things are important to me.

I have been spending a lot of my time wondering what I should do with my life (in terms of school and work, things of that nature). Some of it is beneficial and some not so much. It also doesn't help that I feel like absolute garbage. I haven't been watching what I eat and have been eating way too much gluten. I am starting to feel sluggish and exhausted constantly in addition to all of the fun that accompanies eating wheat-y things.

So, here is to reassessing as we change. To picking up our pieces when we fall apart and to trying to reconcile that to be human is to make some mistakes.

It's Been a While

Sorry for the lack of communicado! Here's what I have been up to:

Remember that post about how to make feminism digestable for the teens? I was prepping for that and teaching that to the young ladies where I volunteer.

105 girls signed up but I only had 78 seats. :( It broke my heart.

But the class went so well!

My topics were:

• Haute Couture or Haute Mess-why what we wear matters. In this class, we discussed the idea of what is acceptable vs. what is sold as well as the focus on celebrity fashion. This also covered those terrible who wore it better/fab or drab articles as well as the dependency on make up and contouring.
• To Has Cheezburger or Not to Has Cheezburger-why weight is the question. This covered body image lashback for all sizes as well as the altering of toys and animated characters into a sexualized body type (with much care to never actually say the word sexualized).
• Character Assassination-How our beloved fictional characters measure up to today's "standards". Covering Hermione, Katniss, Bella, Tris, Arya, and Daenerys with special consideration given to how the media defines a strong female character as well as analyzing their names to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
• The Dreaded "F"word-do we still need feminism? Explaining what feminism is, including the three waves and different types of feminism.

The girls were so receptive to the material and had some great discussions about it. Girls thanked me for teaching it and asked for pictures with me, and even said they wanted to go back to their schools to start feminist clubs. It was incredibly heart-warming and rewarding. The kind of experience that makes me think twice about what I am doing now and if I should go back to school to persue teaching. Teaching is in our blood on my mom's side of the family. My grandmother was a teacher. i had a cousin go to school for it. I started to go to school for it. However, I'd prefer to be a college professor than teach high school or middle school.

The Daily Grind

Lately I have found myself getting hyper-aggrevated while working. Either in the office or on projects I do from home. I was always the person in group projects that felt like they had to do everything or it wouldn't get done. That cleared up a bit on college because I was lucky enough to do most of my group projects with dedicated scientists that really cared about scientific integrity.

I don't know what it is that is coded in my DNA but it makes me feel like I have to work a mile a minute on everything I am doing to make sure it is done in a timely, percise fashion. I suppose that is a good thing when people are depending on you. However, I feel the need to take it further and pick up the pieces others leave behind or don't quite finish. I make their work my work and let all of the pressure consume me. While I have often felt I perform best under pressure, it is seriously exhausting. With my mind always going, it is hard to wind down at night which throws my sleep schedule off and makes me so sleepy all day. Caffeine is not much help, either.

Maybe I just need to relax. I just don't know how to. I guess that is something to work on.

Anniversary Scavenger Hunt

Clearly, I didn't get this done alone the way yesterday. I was too busy enjoying it and too nervous to drop my phone in some sand. My apologies!

I got up early enough to beat my mug into perfection.

This was a struggle, not the mug-beating but the getting up. I had stayed out late with a friend and JACKED my foot up. Naturally, I had taken my sandals off on Pavilion Beach so I wouldn't get sand in the footbed. I channeled my inner geology student and climbed some rocks... barefoot. I slid a little and jammed my toe and foot. Ouch. It's ok. Dr. The Husband fixed me up, washing sand and debris from my wound and dealing with me crying like a child when he used alcohol and skin sheild.

The premise of today's hunt is for me to travel around to places that have some kind of meaning to us and meet up with friends along the way to navigate me through the guessing. I have italicized its meaning for those who are curious.


First Stop: Pleasant Street Tea Company in Gloucester
This is our coffee place. This is were we go if we want coffee or tea and aren't running late for life. Upon arrival I cheated and looked around the parking lot across the street to see if I could easily identify any of them. Success! I go in and find our friends Jaimie and Paul along with their fabulous daughter. Order a fancy coffee and caught up while the wee one rearranged the shops furniture (the feng shui must have been off).

Second Stop: Tuck's Candy in Rockport
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE taffy. OMG. So friggin much. The Husband has learned this well because everytime we are downtown or in town for the 4th of July, I have to stop. We arrived and I was handed off to my next guides, Krystal and Tristan. We shopped for delicious candy (taffy and old fashioned candy sticks for me!) before departing on to the next stop.

Third Stop: Pavilion Beach in Gloucester
Pavilion, famouse for The Greasey Pole and Seine boat races is my thinking spot. If I am having a rough time dealing with something or we get into a fight and I need to leave, The Husband knows he can find me here--perched on a rock. Possibly the one that jacked me up on Saturday.Still with the awesome Krystal and Tristan, we parked in St. Peter's Square, home of St. Peter's Fiesta. We deviated from the plan and went on a hunt for coffee. Lone Gull was open and we sat in wonderfull leather seats and drank our deliciousness. [Side Bar: San Pellegrino Pompelo (Grapefruit) soda is fantastic! I don't usually go for white grapefruit products but this was totes worthit!) We trecked back to the beach where we talked and I started to sun burn--something I didn't find out until much later.

Fourth Stop: Captain Dusty's in Manchester
We love ice cream. We have three spots we like it from, Captain Dusty's or Richardson's for hard serve and Long Beach Dairy Maid for soft serve.The fourth stop brough great joy to me! Waiting at the ice cream shop were my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and their two adorable wee ones! There is something so terribly adorable about listening to children order their own ice cream. One so confidently, like he was born to annihilate the cone and the other so sweetly, with a shy little 1-inch voice. After enjoying my kiddie sized wildcat (butterscotch ice cream with oreos in it. Seriously. It's real.) we headed to my next destination.

Fifth Stop: West Beach in Beverly Farms
Prior to meeting The Husband, I would drive by West Beach. Sometimes I would get huffy and be like "really, Bev Farms? You need a private beach? *scoffing noises*" Then we met and his family is partially from there. Do they neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed a private beach? Meh. Is it one of the best beaches around? Hell to the yes. It's beautiful and even though I received the WORST sunburn of my life there, I'd happily go there anytime. Perks to being a private beach? My sister-in-law and I had a cup of Chard while relaxing on the veranda. Does it get any better? I don't think it does. Fun Fact: West Beach was where we originally planned to have our wedding ceremony. It also home to many family events in the summer.

 

 

Sixth Stop: Salem Willows

I arrived at the Willos to find my pal Aimee waiting. Why the Willows, you may ask. What is so special about a few arcades, delicious candied popcorn, chow mein or egg foo yung sandwiches? It was the spot of our second date and being the gentleman he is, he gave all of our tickets to a child after. Aimee and I decend upon the madness and do the smart thing: only cash in $2 each for playing. I could have wasted all of my money on the skee ball. I have a problem. We played in one arcade where an adorable little girl stole all of my tickets when I finished playing. NBD, wee one, i don't need them anyway. Seriously, what am I going to get for 20 tickets or less? We wandered over to the other arcade where I was met with my second arcade love: Pin Ball. I am no Tommy, but I love that shit. I did terribly and it cost three quarters to play (a bit pricey, me thinks). Of course I did terribly, I played Monopoly... I hate Monopoly more than any human should hate something. #YOLO

 

 

And there was more skee ball to be played in the second arcade!

We gave our tickets to the cutest little guy who was rocking out to Guitar Hero. I didn't even though they made an arcade version of it! Guitar Hero wasn't the only musical...thing in the second arcade. They had the creepiest old display that if you put in a dime, old scary monkeys "played" music.

And the one in the bottom right corner looked like he was playing with boobs.

Dirty monkey!

Seventh Stop: Salem Beer Works (in Salem... if the name didn't give it away)

For a long time, this was our spot. If we were going out to dinner, 9 times out of 10 you could find us here. We've had a lot of good food, good beer (for him), and good laughs, like that time we both ordered foot long hot dogs and died after they came out:

                                                                            

Aimee and I enjoyed some lunch while discussing the important things in life: people we don't like, work, food, and pets. :)

Eight Stop: Tuck's Point in Manchester

This is the site of our wedding ceremony.

Aimee left me in the company of Sam and Stan, the maid of honor and best man of our wedding. Sam had a cute bouquet for me that was similar to my wedding bouquet. We milled around breifly and after almost being run over by a child on a bike, decided it was time to head to the final stop.

Nineth Stop: My In-Laws' home in Manchester

Not only have they been lovely and welcoming since day one, they were kind enough to let us live there with them for a while AND it was the location of our reception. I won the in-law jackpot, y'all.

I was blindfolded for this. I walked down the yard, led by Sam and Stan, like I was drunk. There, waiting for me was a kilt-clad Husband on one knee holding a ring he gave me as wedding gift. He proposed to another year, but naturally before he got a word in he was told the blind folding would never again happen (I know how to make him feel loved.). I accepted in front of everyone and we had a lovely bar-b-que with those nearest and dearest to us.

It was a a wonderful day, filled with pure joy and love. I couldn't have asked for a better anniversary.

 

The only thing I'd do differently? Wear sunblock.

The photo doesn't do it justice. It is way worse than it looks.